Iran open to ‘indirect negotiations,’ but rejects the U.S. approach

IRNA - Kamal Kharazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations (SCFR), says the Islamic Republic remains open to indirect negotiations despite rejecting Washington’s current diplomatic approach.

“What we see today in the behavior of the U.S. administration is a psychological war, promoting the policy of ‘either war or negotiation’ through contradictory messages from American officials,” he told an SCFR reporter.

Kharazi, a former foreign minister, explained that these mixed signals from U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump himself and his recent letter to Iran—widely covered by American and regional media—are part of a strategy to create confusion, false optimism, and polarization within Iran.

This, he said, has led some to believe that Trump genuinely seeks to improve relations between Tehran and Washington.

However, Kharazi questioned the true intentions behind the U.S. strategy, which he said was an invitation to negotiate under the shadow of intensified economic sanctions and military threats.

He warned that such negotiations lack clear principles and, based on past experiences, cannot be trusted.

During his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, in 2015, and launched a maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic, characterized by economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. 

Trump reinstated this policy shortly after beginning his second term in January, but has since expressed a willingness to strike a new deal.

“The outcome of this strategy is nothing but the imposition of one party’s demands on the other in an atmosphere of coercion and intimidation,” Kharazi said.

“If Mr. Trump had understood Iran and the Iranian spirit, he would have learned from the past and acted differently—whether sincerely or even in a business-like manner—to resolve the historical issues between Iran and the United States for the economic benefit of his own country,” he added.

Kharazi emphasized that Trump should have realized by now that the Iranian people will never bow to pressure or coercion but will respond positively to humility and honesty.

Nevertheless, Kharazi affirmed that Iran has not closed all doors and remains open to indirect negotiations to evaluate the other side, present its conditions, and make appropriate decisions accordingly.

He said Trump should avoid repeating past mistakes and instead embrace the principles of genuine dialogue—equality, mutual respect, and avoidance of threats and pressure—and gain the trust of Iranians, who seek fair negotiations.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States under pressure, citing Washington’s history of reneging on its commitments.